Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Manatee" video after each step to draw at your own pace.





For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw a big circle as a guide for the manatee's body. The circle doesn't have to be perfect. It's just a guide. Leave enough room on the sides for the head and tail.

Step 2: Draw a smaller circle on the right side as a guide for the manatee's head. The circle should be about one-fourth the size of the first one. Don't place the circles too far apart or the manatee will end up too long.

Step 3: Draw a small arc on the lower left side of the manatee's head as a guide for the muzzle. Manatees have somewhat flat muzzles, so the arc should be short and square-like in shape.

Step 4: Draw a few more curved lines as a guide for the rest of the manatee's body. Add a couple of lines that connect the two circles to form the front part of the body. Draw a long, sideways arc on the left side of the circle as a guide for the back part of the body.

Step 5: Draw a small U-shaped arc under the front part of the body as a guide for the manatee's flippers.

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Step 6: Draw another arc-like shape on the left side of the body as a guide for the manatee's tail. First draw a diagonal line, then connect that line to the body using curved lines.

That's it for the initial sketch! From this point on, press harder with your pencil to get a more defined sketch.

Step 7: Draw the manatee's eye inside the head as a small circle. Shade the inside of the eye except for a tiny circle that represents glare. Add a few lines around the eye for the wrinkles. Curve the lines around the manatee's eye to show that the eye is deep in the head.

Step 8: Use the arc as a guide to draw the manatee's muzzle. Follow the basic path of the guide as you darken the line and give it a few more bumps. Add another curved line that moves toward the inside of the head as the other side of the manatee's grasping top lip. Under the top lip, add a smaller curved line for the bottom lip and chin. Draw a few more curved lines as the folds of skin around the mouth's opening. Draw a small circle on the top part of the manatee's muzzle for the nostril.

Step 9: Add a few short lines around the muzzle for the manatee's whiskers. Use quick, short strokes to add the whiskers. Don't over think it. Just add them randomly.

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Step 10: Use the initial circle as a guide to draw the rest of the manatee's head. Follow the basic path of the guides as you darken the lines and give them a few more bumps. Add a curved line at the bottom for the lower jaw and a few lines around the face for wrinkles.

Step 11: Use the U-shaped arc under the body as a guide to draw the flipper on this side. The top part of the flipper should be attached farther up inside the body. Use curved lines as you darken the shape of the flipper. You can add a couple of curved lines at the tip of the flipper for the manatee's nails.

Step 12: Use the initial lines as guides to draw the rest of the manatee's body. Simply darken the lines as you follow the path of the guides and add a few bumps along the way for a more organic feel.

Step 13: Draw a smaller U-shaped arc in front for the manatee's flipper on the other side.

Step 14: Darken the arc on the left side using curved lines to create the manatee's paddle-shaped tail.

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Step 15 (optional): For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. also re-draw any final sketch lines that you may have accidentally erased.

Final Step (optional): Add some shading to your drawing to give it more dimension and volume. Pick the direction of the light source when shading so that the shadows are consistent with it. Vary the pressure on your pencil to get different degrees of tonal value. Manatees have thick, wrinkly skin, so don't worry too much about adding the value smoothly.

You can add more value through your manatee drawing for extra detail. Manatees are basically gray, so add an even solid value throughout the body. It's always a good idea to use reference for a more accurate drawing. Don't forget to pause the "How to Draw a Manatee" video to draw at your own pace.

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